The Vice Chancellor of the University of Juba, Prof. Aggrey L. Abate has ordered the immediate closure of the institution after serious riots among the students since Monday.

“The situation has further deteriorated resulting in more injuries and disruption of official and public activities within the University campus and surrounding areas. For this reason, an emergency Dean’s Board Meeting convened on March 28, 2012 to review the situation resolved its closure to avoid further violence escalation,” the order read.

“The University is closed until further notice. All students must vacate the hostels and other University premises with immediate effect and all employees should report to work normally. The Principal and the Dean of Students are directed to ensure full implementation of the order.”

The South Sudan General Students’ Union Secretary General, Riek Bim Top has condemned and rejected the violence in the University of Juba and called for dialogue rather than fighting.

“The leadership of South Sudan Students’ Union condemns the attitude of violence instigated by students. The state of our nation at this time needs stability and harmony among the communities,” Bim said.

Last Tuesday, the Deputy Minister of Interior, Salva Mathok Gengdit had asked the students of the University of Juba to stop indulging in politics which is coated with tribalism causing conflicts.

Mathok ordered security personnel to block the students from entering the University campus without the knowledge of the administration.

Sources from the University report that the chaos started last Monday during a football match. The situation was quelled but later on it escalated to the extent of throwing stones among the students. Currently there is some causality at Juba Teach Hospital as a result of the violence.

Antiriot police officers were deployed yesterday and used teargas to separate the students. Activities in the University came to standstill and public transport was paralysed near the campus premises. Such developments led to the order by the University to leave room for a full investigation in to the matter.

“Lectures have been suspended since Monday according to the University administration,” Ajang Ajang, the President of the Juba University Student’s Union (JUSU) told Gurtong.

This latest interferences in the University’s academic progress after it stayed for the whole year of 2011 without lectures came as a result of disagreement between two students in a hostel, other sources said.

Ajang explained that, the misunderstanding broke out on Monday evening then led to a fight and later the two parties were backed up by the fellow colleagues.

Eight students were injured in the melee last Monday and have been admitted in hospital,” Ajang said.

He pointed fingers at the Principal of the University while alleging that he backed the crisis.

Efforts to reach the administration of Juba University for comments proved fruitless.